Ummm the rule is for Baseball not Softball..... And if pitch counts do not work, why in the world does the MLB use them? They must be idiots!!!
GHSA sets new pitch count rules.for baseball.
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Ummm the rule is for Baseball not Softball..... And if pitch counts do not work, why in the world does the MLB use them? They must be idiots!!!
- May 17, 2012
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I didn't know MLB had pitch count limits. Perhaps they changed the rules since I last watched a game a few weeks ago.
Depending on the state you live in there are various rule sets that regulate high school sports. Baseball and Softball often share some of the same rules. I understand the OP was talking about baseball.
- Jul 5, 2016
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Every high school season, I see pitchers with adequate mechanics end up the season overused and injured to some extent from overuse. Surely there has to be some way to protect these girls from coaches who want to win no matter what.
While MLB does not have a written rule, you tell me what typically happens when the starter reaches that magical 100 pitch number? That my friend is a pitch count limit, then they rest for 3-4 days... hmmmmm
I had two quote me and mention mechanics as the the main problem and some chimed what is the mechanics everyone agrees are correct. If catchers have good posture is ok to catch them every inning all weekend then 3 more games thru the week. If I'm coaching then no. I don't want her crippled up and hobbling when she's 40. I have to throw in walking is natural I have good mechanics but if I walk 40 miles I will get over use injury. Distance Runners train under professional supervision but still have feet problems. Coughing is natural mechanics yet when hit with allergies or something and I cough 15 times an hour four 8 hours I have pain in abdominal area, enough and sevier cough I could damage something. Heck just scratching my nose to much causes irritation. While I agree mechanics can play a huge part along with other factors, many threads on here say x pitches a day in tourny should be it. Unfortunately for the good coaches who watch and pay attention to their players many don't and the player suffers. Don't have all the answers but have witnessed pitchers throw every inning in tourny or every inning in season. Some show no ill effects except fatigue. Others towards end of tourny or season having to extra stretching, therapy ect. Don't want to fight with anyone but like face masks, pitch counts are there to protect the player when they can't. Getting everyone to agree on it or numbers highly unlikely.
The solution is to train the coaches, grow a pair and fire the ones who do harm to players. Every year when HS season rolls around many frequenting this board lament about the abuse of players at the hands of coaches. I hear the same things first hand from parents when I attend HS games. Overuse of pitchers, little to no warmup prior to taking to the circle either as a starter or in relief. It is also common to hear of players "persuaded" to take to the field while hurt. Yet rarely if ever do the parents of these players have the stones to do something about it. They are seeming more concerned with not making waves and impacting playing time than the welfare of their own kids. Instead they look to defer their parental duties and responsibilities to the coaches, AD, Principal, or look for relief in terms of some arbitrary rule. To those parents I say this - "You are the problem!" If your kid gets hurt in such a manner you only have yourself to blame. If your kid is going to be involved with any sport, HS or otherwise you better be ready to pull them off the field if that what it takes to keep them safe. You are the parent, do your job.
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Don't know how to highlight parts of quote but I have addressed parts. Freshman yr. Pitched 3 Games toward end of season, 4th (make up) on sat then look over getting warm for jv. I say no to coach. Soph, pitch every inning but 6 of season but enough rest. Look over coach trying to invoke HE. I go to fence "pitch way your taught". This year same boat no real pitching back up. I HAVE AND WILL INTERVENE IF NEEDED, I HAVE THE STONES TO INTERVENE IF NEEDED. Point is I dont have control of who is hired or fired. I can make waves but waves can sometimes be farther reaching than just playing time so that is last resort. I have seen her pick up with good coaching and not attend with no worries. Other times appoint someone if I can't attend to watch over. Pitch count would help to keep parents out of it, just like LLWS right know. Parents can fuss about coach using up the pitcher or not saving some of it for later day. None can fuss or worry that he's being overused to point of injury.
Did you somehow get the idea that the post you quoted was directed at you? It is geat to hear you are standing up for your kid. If more parents would follow your lead, we would not need arbitrary and capricious rules.
I probably did. I took it personal like always. I do understand what your saying but like a lot on here, our DD's want to play school ball and we want to support it. We don't want our DD's black listed in another sport or class by making waves if any way possible not to. However I'm not going to say don't play hs sports because they are trying to legislate stupidity out of school coaching if it will protect the children. Shame things have to be this way. Rember the days when five would ride in back of truck to ballpark, dumped out, played ball road home. Some of the coaching was sub par but all the coaches were trying their best as I remember and wins were not in front of putting kids at risk. Today's world coaches $200 extra paycheck is more important with wins than the long term well being of the athlete. DD's quote from one coach "if your puking show up I'll give u a trash can, miss your sitting nxt game".
I've always been more in favor of innings versus pitches. It's much easier to count and overall works out best. You can work a hitter without having to worry about an extra pitch or 2. I know that sometimes it gets crazy and you have a 35 pitch inning, but usually that will even out over time. In baseball the thing that I hate is seeing a pitcher re-enter a game or pitch 2 games during a double header. I knew 2 pitchers who blew out their arms doing this including my nephew. His coach (with his parents approval) wanted to win the state championship and it cost him a career. He did pitch a couple times in college, but had to quit freshman year. He is a great kid, his coach is a good guy and his parents love the kid, but someone needed to protect him and that's where rules come in. The issue is what it the right number of pitches or innings. I agree that some can pitch more than the prescribed pitch counts or innings, but you have to set a limit. When you see high school (or even little league) kids having Tommy John surgery, what you are doing isn't working. Softball will come to it at some point.
